FIG. 5.
Effect of inoculum density on the MPCs of PRA for E. coli ATCC 8739 (open symbols) and S. aureus ATCC 6538 (solid symbols). The graphs, mostly comprising means of total CFU, were generated in four and five separate experiments, respectively. Agar plates containing PRA at the indicated concentrations were seeded with either: 4 × 108 CFU (Δ▴, 10 plates); 1 × 109 CFU (□▪, four plates); 4 × 109 CFU (○•, one plate); 3.4 × 109 CFU (▾, 10 plates; performed with S. aureus only); or 1010 CFU (⋄⧫, one plate). Serving as references, the dotted lines represent the lower part of the curves (total CFU) shown in Fig. 2. The duration of incubation was as indicated in Fig. 2.